Emma

Emma,first published in 1816, was written when Jane Austen was at the height of her powers. In a novel remarkable for its sparkling wit and modernity, Austen presents readers with two of literature's greatest comic creationsthe eccentric Mr. Woodhouse and that quintessential bore, Miss Bates. Here, too, we have what may well be Jane Austen's most profound characterization: the witty, imaginative, self-deluded Emma, a heroine the author declared "no one but myself will much like," but who has been much loved by generations of readers. Delightfully funny, full of rich irony,Emmais regarded as one of Jane Austen's finest achievements.

A. Walton Litz is professor emeritus of English at Princeton University.<br><br><br><i>From the Trade Paperback edition.</i>